Rise and Fall
by CyborgMind
Summary: In this short story, a father is cast into the midst of a Cabal invasion.


His head spun as he woke to the sound of chaos and destruction. Slowly regaining control of his extremities, he coughed a few times in an attempt to expel the dust that coated his lungs. He took a moment to muster some strength and struggled to his hands and knees, only to collapse atop the hard earth as searing pain erupted in his lower chest. Broken ribs.

Taking deep, labored breaths, he decided to try something different. He rolled carefully onto his back, letting out a groan in opposition of the pain. Where was he? What happened?

There was a change in the wind, clearing some of the thick, black smoke that polluted the air, allowing him to finally get a sense of his surroundings. Through the many pillars of smoke, the sky was stained a violent red. The buildings around him that had once stood tall were now charred and crumbled. This was an attack. An invasion.

He suddenly gasped as he quickly remembered what had happened. An unnatural storm. An armada of alien warships. Countless explosions. Their home shaking. The floor giving out… His wife being crushed. And his daughter... His little girl… Where was she?

"Lucille," he whispered, forcing himself to sit up. His broken ribs rebelled against him, but he ground his teeth, fighting the pain. In spite of his shaking limbs, he steadily rose to his feet while clutching at his side. He stood in the middle of a street that had been littered with rubble from the surrounding structures. A fire raged just a one block over, producing a thick haze that blanketed the area.

Willing his feet to move, he began to search the nearby pile of rubble that used to be his home. "Lucy!" he called, looking frantically for his daughter. "Lucy?!" He climbed a short way up the rubble a moment more in search of his daughter, when a small voice reached his ears.

"Daddy!"

His heart stopped. "Lucy! Where are you?!"

"Daddy!"

He scrambled over what used to be his roof, following the sound of his daughter's voice. "I'm coming Lucy! Daddy's coming!"

"Help me!"

He dropped down to ground level on the other side of the rubble, careful not to get caught on the rebar that protruded from the debris. To his left lay an enormous chunk of mangled concrete, resting atop the crumbling scrap.

"Daddy!"

His jaw dropped as he realized she was stuck beneath the concrete, likely running out of air. "I'm here baby! Daddy will get you out!"

He desperately hoped he was telling the truth. He grabbed an edge of the concrete slab that was protruding from the rubble just enough for him to curl his fingers around, and he lifted. The pain from the strain on his ribs in that moment was unbearable. He immediately lost his grip and cursed as his chest burned.

He had to try again. Grabbing the slab once more, and getting a better foothold, he heaved. The pain was even worse than the last time. He stumbled to his knees, clutching at his ribs. A tear rolled down his cheek as he came to terms with reality. He could not get his daughter out.

He was just a moment away from passing out, when a calm, firm hand was placed on his shoulder. He flinched, trying to turn around as best he could without making his ribs worse. A wave of relief washed over him as he realized he was looking at the blurry form of a Hunter.

"Allow me," said the guardian. He dug a foot into the ground and planted the other atop the rubble. Grasping the concrete tightly, the Hunter grunted as he slowly began to lift. The slab groaned as it was pulled from its resting place, and several large portions of rubble began to roll off the side. Ignoring this, the guardian struggled to lift the concrete higher, letting air and light rush into the small space underneath.

The little girl immediately began to claw her way out. The Hunter saw this, and let out another painful grunt in an attempt to raise the concrete just a little higher. His effort was enough, and gave the girl just enough space to clamber out completely.

"Daddy!" she squealed as she ran into her father's arms.

As soon as the girl was safe, the Hunter dropped the slab, letting it smash into the rubble with a loud, rocky thud.

The father wrapped his arms around his baby girl. Her blonde hair was a tangled mess and she was covered in dirt, but otherwise she was unharmed. Dusting the filth from his child, the father turned to the guardian that now stood watch. "Thank you."

Some explosions and gunfire rang out just a few blocks away. The Hunter shook his head and cocked his hand cannon. "Don't thank me yet. I need to get you two out of-"

The guardian paused and suddenly convulsed. Pulling his daughter close, the father watched in horror as a bright light erupted from the Hunter's body and began to pull away, as if tearing itself from the guardian it had been living inside just a moment ago. Then the light faded into the smoky air, leaving its old host to collapse into the dirt.

The father took his daughter's hand and led her to the guardian who was now trying to lift himself to his hands and knees. He left his daughter to stand beside him while he knelt to help the guardian up. "What just happened?"

With his help, the Hunter rose shakily to his feet. "I… I don't know. The Light… It's gone."

Before he could say any more, the ground began to vibrate as the sound of heavy footsteps echoed from a nearby alley. "We need to leave," the Hunter managed. "Now!"

The father understood and took his daughter's hand once more, while helping the weakened guardian along with the other. They made it halfway down the street, when a group of four Cabal Legionnaires emerged from the alley behind them. The aliens saw them immediately, and roared as they opened fire.

The three scrambled into another nearby alleyway as the street was suddenly peppered with Cabal slugs. They came to rest against a wall as the enemy drew near.

The father looked his daughter up and down to make sure she was ok. She remained unscathed, but there was a look of dread in her eyes. "It's okay Lucy. You hear me? It's okay."

The Hunter leaned heavily against the wall, watching this stranger try to comfort his child. There was an innocence about the child, tainted by the devastation that surrounded them. He looked up the alley and found a dead end. Just as he feared. They were trapped.

He looked down at his gloved hands. No light, no power, no ghost. In a matter of seconds he had become mortal, vulnerable… killable. The fear was haunting, but his purpose remained true. If nothing else, he would see this broken family survive.

The father looked back to see the guardian stumbling back towards the street. "Hey, wait! Where are you going?"

The Hunter turned to face him. "There is nowhere else to go. Stay put. I will face them. Pray that I succeed."

With that the guardian turned back to the street, removing his hand cannon from its holster. He held it in the palms of his hands. "The Light is gone. It's just you and me now, old girl. Sing for me… one last time."

The Hunter took a deep breath and leapt into the street, simultaneously taking aim. He let loose with his gun, taking out two Cabal soldiers before the others fired on him. He took cover behind some rubble as the enemy's thick shells pierced the concrete he hid behind. He breathed heavily. His body felt heavy.

Sensing a break in the oncoming fire, the Hunter took his chance. He sprinted for new cover, firing his hand cannon as he went. Another Legionnaire fell as he tumbled to safety. The remaining Cabal continued to press forward, showering the street with gunfire.

The Hunter tried hard to catch his breath. Without the Light, combat was much more taxing on the body than he thought, and his limbs still felt numb. He took in one last deep breath, waiting for his opportunity. "You can do this," he whispered to himself. "Save them."

He heard another break in the Cabal's assault, and he went for it. The guardian jumped from cover, only to feel a slug barrel through his lower chest. He fell to the ground in shock, but not before pulling the trigger, taking the head off the last Legionnaire.

The Hunter gasped at the unimaginable pain he now felt. He managed to pull himself up against a nearby wall, and sat silently as his life began to fade. Though his vision was becoming blurry, he could see a familiar form above him. The survivor. What was that fool thinking? Why wasn't he taking his daughter to safety? It took a moment before the Hunter realized he was saying something.

"No! Don't die! Guardians can't die! We need you to protect us!"

The Hunter shook his head slowly. This was his end. He used what strength he had left to lift his hand cannon, and shoved it into the man's hands. "I'm not going to make it. You must be… the guardian… now." He pointed at the little girl that was now peeking from the alleyway. " _Her_ guardian. Keep… her… safe."

Upon those words, his strength finally failed, and his life was extinguished forever. The father clutched the weapon in his hands with sorrow. It wasn't right. An immortal hero died for his mortal soul. He had no choice now. They had to survive, or else this Hunter's efforts were in vein.

"Thank you, guardian. I will always remember your sacrifice."

He glanced back at his demolished home one last time, then swiftly returned to the alley. "Come, Lucy. Daddy will protect you."

He took his daughter's hand in his, gripping the hand cannon with the other, and the two ran off into the bloodstained twilight.


End file.
